The Blazing World

wind through those precipices, as if it had been guided by some experienced pilot, and skilful mariner: But alas! Those few men which were in it, not knowing whither they went, nor what was to be done in so strange an adventure, and not being provided for so cold a voyage, were all frozen to death; the young lady only, by the light of her beauty, the heat of her youth, and protection of the gods, remaining alive: Neither was it a wonder that the men did freeze to death; for they were not only driven to the very end or point of the pole of that world, but even to another pole of another world, which joined close to it; so that the cold having a double strength at the conjunction of those two poles, was insupportable: At last, the boat still passing on, was forced into another world; for it is impossible to round this world’s globe from pole to pole, so as we do from east to west; because the poles of the other world, joining to the poles of this, do not allow any further passage to surround the world that way; but if anyone arrives to either of these poles, he is either forced to return, or to enter into another world: and lest you should scruple at it, and think, if it were thus, those that live at the poles would either see two suns at one time, or else they would never want the sun’s light for six months together, as it is commonly believed: You must know, that each of these worlds having its own sun to enlighten it, they move each one in their peculiar circles; which motion is so just and exact, that neither can hinder or obstruct the other; for they do not exceed their tropicks: and although they should meet, yet we in this world cannot so well perceive them, by reason of the brightness of our sun, which being nearer to us, obstructs the splendor of the sun of the other world, they being too far off to be discerned by our optic perception, except we use very good telescopes; by which, skilful astronomers have often observed two or three suns at once.

But to return to the wandering boat, and the distressed lady; she seeing all the men dead, found small comfort in life; their bodies which were preserved all that while from putrefaction and stench, by the extremity of cold, began now to thaw, and corrupt; whereupon she having not strength enough to fling them overboard, was forced to remove out of her small cabin, upon the deck, to avoid that nauseous smell; and finding the boat swim between two plains of ice, as a stream that runs betwixt two shores, at last perceived land, but covered all with snow: from which came, walking upon the ice, strange creatures, in shape like bears, only they went upright as men; those creatures coming near the boat, catched hold of it with their paws, that served them instead of hands; some two or three of them entered first; and when they came out, the rest went in one after another; at last having viewed and observed all that was in the boat, they spake to each other in a language which the lady did not understand; and having carried her out of the boat, sunk it, together with the dead men.

The lady now finding herself in so strange a place, and amongst such wonderful kind of creatures, was extremely strucken with fear, and could entertain no other thoughts, but that every moment her life was to be a sacrifice to their cruelty; but those bear-like creatures, how terrible soever they appeared to her sight, yet were they so far from exercising any cruelty upon her, that rather they showed her all civility and kindness imaginable; for she being not able to go upon the ice, by reason of its slipperiness, they took her up in their rough arms, and carried her into their city, where instead of houses, they had caves underground; and as soon as they entered the city, both males and females, young and old, flocked together to see this lady, holding up their paws in admiration; at last having brought her into a certain large and spacious cave, which they intended for her reception, they left her to the custody of the females, who entertained her with all kindness and respect, and gave her such victuals as they used to eat; but seeing her constitution neither agreed with the temper of that climate, nor their diet, they were resolved to carry her into another island of a warmer temper; in which were men like foxes, only walking in an upright shape, who received their neighbours the Bear-men with great civility and courtship, very much admiring this beauteous lady; and having discoursed some while together, agreed at last to make her a present to the Emperor of their world; to which end, after she had made some short stay in the same place, they brought her cross that island to a large river, whose stream run smooth and clear, like crystal; in which were numerous boats, much like our fox-traps; in one whereof she was carried, some of the Bear- and Fox-men waiting on her; and as soon as they had crossed the river, they came into an island where there were men which had heads, beaks and feathers, like wild-geese, only they went in an upright shape, like the Bear-men and Fox-men: their rumps they carried between their legs, their wings were of the same length with their bodies, and their tails of an indifferent size, trailing after them like a lady’s garment; and after the Bear- and Fox-men had declared their intention and design to their neighbours, the Geese- or Bird-men, some of them joined to the rest, and attended the lady through that island, till they came to another great and large river,